Gateway Arch, Old Courthouse close amid government shutdown

ST. LOUIS - The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse are closed as of Wednesday following the start of a federal government shutdown.

The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal.

During past shutdowns in 2013, 2018 and 2019, federal sites such as national parks were forced to close. A shutdown contingency plan from the National Park Service released Tuesday noted that “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors," but national parks with staffed entrances and facilities may not be open.

As of Wednesday, FOX 2 has learned that the doors for the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse, both part of the Gateway Arch National Park, are closed until further notice. However, there are no signs at the site that specifically mention closures or the government shutdown.

Visitors can still walk on the grounds of the Gateway Arch, but the museum and tram rides to the top are unavailable during the shutdown.

By law, federal agencies must halt operations and furlough "non-excepted" employees during a government shutdown. Workers deemed essential may remain on the job, such as those protecting life and property, but will not be paid until the shutdown ends.

Lawmakers from both parties are pointing fingers. Republicans proposed a short-term funding bill to keep the government running through Nov. 21, but Democrats blocked it, pressing for stronger healthcare priorities.

Republicans have dismissed such demands, arguing they would add more than $1 trillion to the federal deficit.